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Using Maximo Transportation to manage retreaded tires

After seeing a demonstration from Carey Clarke, Designer & Architect of IBM Maximo Transportation, I decided to write a very easy step-by-step configuration using Maximo core functionalities to manage a great need in Transportation companies - the management of retreaded tires.

Introduction

Currently, in organizations with a large fleet, tires management is one of the most costly activities. These organizations that have larger number of assets need to consider reuse of existing assets, like retreading tires, in order to save time and money. However, managing the life of a tire that can be retreaded is not so easy.

Objective

The objective of this article is to introduce a quick solution, just using Maximo base functionalities to manage the life of retreaded tires. Combined with Maximo Transportation, this solution can help a lot of Transportation users to visualize the whole cycle of a retreated tire.

The functionality presented in Rotating Item and Assets applications can help setting this up as the tire will be presented as an unique asset and then there will be the ability to track full details of the tire’s life throughout its operations as to know all assets that it has been installed on, all retreaded work done on the tire, discover the total mileage the tire is driven and finally understand the total costs to own the tire.

By using Maximo’s toolset there is an ability to track the number of times a tire has been retreaded, as well. That will be possible using database configuration to add new attributes to the asset object, using application designer to add attributes to the assets application and using automation scripting presented in Maximo 7.5, to define rules to update counter when tire retreading service is purchased.

Warning: Make sure you have a non production environment, to try this out, before making changes that might impact your business.

Creating the retread data and counter

The solution flow comprehends since the creation of a new tire in Asset application. This asset can be either identified as a new retread tire or just identified as one once it approaches the end of the original tread’s life.

The Maximo 7.5 version was used to create this solution. In this case, once the asset is identified as a retread tire, then this will trigger a counter to indicate the number of times the tire has been retreated. A Purchase Order (PO) is used to buy a service from a vendor to perform the retread work on the tire. As soon as the PO is received, then the retread counter in Assets application will be incremented, so this time we know how many times this tire has been retreated until know when it is time for a purchase of a brand new tire.

. Go the Database Configuration in Maximo to add new attributes; “DEMO_ISTIRE” and “DEMO_RETREADCOUNT”. This is used to identify the tire as retread in Assets application and will show the number of times it has been retreaded.

Image 1: Database configuration screen

. Go to System Configuration > Platform Configuration > Application Designer application and create a new section called “Retread Tires”. Add to that two new attributes; “Retread?” which is merely a check-box and a “Retread Counter” to show the increment of the number a tire has been retreaded. The result will look like the image 2 in Assets application.

. Go to System Configuration > Platform Configuration > Automation Scripts. Click on Select Action > Create Script with Object Launch Point. You will see a screen similar to the Image 3 below. Create two new launch point variables; one to control if a tire is retread and the other to increment the retread tire like the example below.

Image 3: Automation Script Object Launch Point dialogue

. Now add the automation script details to the first launch point variable that will be in charge to initiate the counter for when we use a retread tire, following code sample as in Image 4.

Image 4: Automation Script Details for the first launch point

. Now add the automation script details to the second launch point variable that will be in charge to increment the counter for when we use a retread tire, following code sample as in Image 5.

Image 5: Automation Script Details for the second launch point

Purchase a retreaded tire or a service

In order to validate if the counter is working, as said in the beginning of this article, a new Purchase Order can be created to buy this service from a vendor. Then, to validate if the counter works, an Invoice can be created in Invoices (Tr) application. The invoice will add the vendor (Company) that is used to perform the work of a retread and add values.

Under the Invoice Lines, a new line can be created as a Standard Service line type. Under Item, you will now see the “Retread” value. Then, a unit cost can be entered to reflect the price of a retreaded tire. If we open the Assets (Tr) application and look for the retreaded tire asset then we will see the incremented counter that measures how many times this tire has been retreaded or being bought as retreaded.